While the maintenance work is underway, information staff will not be able to provide hard copies of documents or print any document, such as a record plat, a zoning map or master plans. However, staff will still be available to answer questions both on the phone and at the counter, and applicants may drop off or pick up documents.

This meeting will address topics originally scheduled for the January meeting that was cancelled due to inclement weather. Staff from the Department of Parks will start the meeting by presenting information about parks and open spaces, opportunity areas and roles and responsibilities related to these topics.

The second half of the meeting will be dedicated to a discussion about transportation and connectivity. Staff from the Planning Department will present information on transportation policies, land use and transportation modeling, and review connectivity issues identified at previous community meetings.

Background on Rock Spring
Once considered a premier office location, Rock Spring has been particularly hard hit by the current downturn in the office market. Single-use business parks without access to transit, like Rock Spring, are struggling with the highest office vacancies. The current office vacancy rate in Rock Spring is 23.7 percent, higher than the County’s overall vacancy rate of 15 percent. Within the context of changing preferences of employers and their workforces for transit-served locations with a dynamic mix of uses, this planning effort will explore ways to reimagine Rock Spring.

The 1992 North Bethesda/Garrett Park Sector Plan recommended some mixed-use zoning in the Rock Spring area, and one residential development of 386 multi-family units has been completed and a new 168-unit townhouse project is under construction. Much of the property in Rock Spring was converted to the Employment Office (EOF) zone when the new County Zoning Ordinance became effective on October 30, 2014. The Rock Spring Master Plan effort will involve a more detailed and nuanced assessment of the area’s zoning.

In addition, the 1992 Sector Plan recommended the North Bethesda Transitway to connect the White Flint area with Montgomery Mall via Old Georgetown Road and Rock Spring Drive. The Transitway is included in the approved 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan (CTCFMP) and provides a framework for re-evaluating Rock Spring.

Challenges confronting the Rock Spring planners include:

-Reinventing an auto-centric suburban office park.

-Identifying opportunities for improved connectivity.

-Examining places for public use spaces and amenities.

-Introducing residential and retail uses into predominately non-residential development to create a mixed use environment.

-Identifying sustainable environmental measures.

-Analyzing the impact of potential new residential development on the area’s public schools.

-Evaluating infrastructure needs for the area.

For more information about the Rock Spring Master Plan, contact the lead planner:

Community Invited to Testify at Public HearingThe Board’s public hearing on the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan is scheduled for Thursday, February 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD) when the community is invited to comment on the Plan’s recommendations.

In order to hear from as many people as possible, each speaker will only have up to three minutes to comment.

The public is also invited to submit comments on the Public Hearing Draft of the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan via email to mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org. These comments will become part of the public testimony and public record for the Plan.

Plan Work Sessions and Council ActionFollowing the public hearing on February 11, 2016, the Planning Board will hold work sessions on the Sector Plan starting in March. The sessions will continue as needed for the Board to discuss the community testimony as well as issues Board members want to address.

At the conclusion of the work sessions, the Plan will be revised to reflect the Planning Board’s direction before being transmitted to the County Council and County Executive as the Planning Board Draft. The County Council will hold a public hearing on the Planning Board Draft of the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan later in 2016.

The community is invited to stay involved with the progress of the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan by:

Background on the Greater Lyttonsville Sector PlanSpurred by the future construction of two Purple Line light rail stations in Greater Lyttonsville, the new Sector Plan examines ways to leverage these significant public infrastructure investments, while preserving the integrity of area neighborhoods that have a rich history and a strong sense of community. The Plan recommends ways of connecting residential, industrial and institutional districts, attracting mixed-use development and expanding parks, trails and open spaces. Recent planning efforts build on the goal of the 2000 North and West Silver Spring Master Plan to preserve this diverse community as a desirable place to live, work and play.

After community meetings were held in January and April 2015, the Planning team revised suggestions for bike and pedestrian connections in and around the Rosemary Hills Lyttonsville Local Park.

Recommendations in the Plan focus on:

-Providing pedestrian and bicycle connections to the two proposed Purple Line light rail stations.
-Preserving, rather than rezoning, a majority of the industrial areas.
-Preserving single-family residential areas.
-Proposing zoning changes primarily in areas around the future Purple Line stations or close to the Silver Spring central business district.

On Tuesday, January 12, a community meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Planning Department auditorium (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD) to discuss current school tests and school facility funding as they relate to the staging of subdivision development. Feedback from this event will help planners revise the sections related to schools in the current Subdivision Staging Policy. RSVPs are encouraged, but required.

This meeting follows the policy update held on October 19 at the Montgomery County Planning Department. At that event, planners provided an overview of the Subdivision Staging Policy and answered questions about infrastructure and growth, particularly with respect to school capacity.

The County’s Subdivision Staging Policy is revised every four years. Planners are currently researching new ideas in transportation and school capacity planning to help them revise the regulations to make them as useful as possible in managing growth in the county. The policy update will first be presented to the Planning Board in May 2016 for comment. This quadrennial policy includes criteria and guidance for the administration of the County’s Adequate Public Facility Ordinance (APFO), which matches the timing of private development with the availability of public services.

In the past, the APFO was designed to ensure that road and school capacity – as well as water and sewer and other infrastructure — kept pace with growth. Where new areas of the County were developed, infrastructure to support new homes and businesses was needed.

Today, much of the County has been developed. Growth is occurring through infill development and redevelopment. This type of growth creates pressure on transportation systems and school facilities. In updating the Subdivision Staging Policy, staff will evaluate whether the existing methodologies effectively account for these changing growth patterns.

-Updating the Subdivision Staging Policy to ensure public facilities, particularly schools and roads, are adequate for County growth.

-Our first Planning Department Design Excellence Award competition to encourage high quality architecture in the County by honoring projects like the Silver Spring Civic Building, which won our top award.

-Seeking to preserve affordable housing in the County.

-Approval of funding for a geothermal heating and cooling system in our future Wheaton headquarters to help ensure it is the first LEED-Platinum-certified public building in the County.

December 1 – Sign up to testify at the County Council’s public hearing for the Montgomery Village Master Plan. The hearing will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room at 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville. Residents and property owners are invited to comment on the Master Plan’s draft recommendations for land use and zoning, transportation networks, parks and open spaces.

December 3 – Attend the Montgomery County Planning Board meeting to learn about separated bike lanes proposed for the White Flint area. Also on the agenda is a work session for the Westbard Sector Plan with discussion focused on the future of the Willett Branch stream and open spaces in the area. Planners will also make a presentation to the Planning Board about updates related to the Transportation Policy Area Review (TPAR) process and trip generation rates used in support of Local Area Transportation Review (LATR). TPAR is used to determine adequacy of roadways and transit from a policy area-wide perspective. LATR is used to determine the adequacy of roadway intersections located in the vicinity of proposed new development.

December 9 – Attend the community meeting for the White Flint 2 Sector Plan to discuss parks and open spaces in the area. The session will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Luxmanor Elementary School (6201 Tilden Lane, Rockville). RSVP to attend the meeting.

December 14 – Attend the community meeting for the Rock Spring Master Plan to learn about future development of this office park in Bethesda. The planner-led event will be held at Walter Johnson High School (6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda) from 7 to 9 p.m. RSVP to attend the meeting.

December 15 – Attend a community meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Johns Hopkins Montgomery County Campus, (Academic and Research Building 9601 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD) to learn about the latest bicycle and pedestrian planning activities in the Life Sciences Center area. Staff will provide an update on the Life Sciences Center separated bike lane network related to the Bicycle Master Plan, as well as the Life Sciences Center Loop Trail design guidelines. RSVPs to attend the session are encouraged, but not required. RSVP for the December 15 meeting.

Report features upcoming initiatives as well as accomplishments from past six months including the Planning Department’s work on updating sector plans and the Parks Department’s efforts on urban parks and athletic fields.

“We are working hard to build upon our agency’s past achievements to successfully confront the challenges of the future,” said Casey Anderson, Planning Board Chair. “Parks and Planning both play a critical role in building communities, and we are finding innovative ways not only to preserve the quality of life Montgomery County has enjoyed in the past but to make it even better. This means a heightened focus on design excellence, an increased emphasis on walkability and access to more diverse recreational opportunities in both urban and suburban neighborhoods, and a continued commitment to economic, social, and environmental sustainability in everything we do.”

New Parks Initiatives:

The Parks Department will be expanding on many of its recent accomplishments in the coming six months including:

Finding new ways to activate urban parks by working with partner organizations and introducing fun activities and amenities, such as informational kiosks, movable tables and chairs, and outdoor exercise equipment.

Identifying land that can be acquired for new urban parks

Evaluating athletic fields to determine which fields are the best candidates for future renovations.

New Planning Initiatives:

As outlined in the Fall 2015 Semi-Annual Report, the Planning Department’s initiatives for the next six months include:

Revising the Subdivision Staging Policy to guide the timing of private development with the availability of public services, including roads and schools.

Studying the factors contributing to increased housing costs to identify the best ways to preserve and encourage affordable rental apartments in the County.

Updating the Recreation Guidelines to encourage a greater range of activities that will appeal to residents of all ages.

Analyzing retail trends to guide future planning efforts and land use decisions in areas where opportunities for change are possible.

Expanding the Design Excellence program and creating new design guidelines for master plans.

The Bicycle Master Plan will consider the newest types of bikeways, such as separated and buffered bike lanes and bicycle boulevards, as well as secure bicycle storage facilities at transit stations. The network will be developed using an evaluation of the varying levels of stress imposed by traffic on cyclists along each roadway in the County.

The first community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Paint Branch High School (14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD). RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Register to attend each of the Bicycle Master Plan Kick-Off meetings below.

Each event will consist of a short presentation by County planner and project manager, David Anspacher, followed by an opportunity to meet with Planning Department staff and learn about relevant topics, such as how traffic stress affects cycling and the state of bicycling in Montgomery County.

Attendees will also have the chance to contribute comments about bicycling safety and facilities they would like to see on a large “feedback map,” created for that part of the County associated with the meeting location. Community comments will be used to guide the planners during their work.

The official kickoff of the Bicycle Master Plan comes after planners participated in Councilmember Hans Riemer’s Second Great MoCo Bike Summit on Saturday, June 6 at the Silver Spring Civic Center. That event focused on ways of incorporating next-generation bicycle facilities into the County’s transportation network and included participation by Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson and the County Department of Transportation.

At the summit, County planner David Anspacher presented an overview of the new Bicycle Master Plan and its focus on developing a high-quality network of cycling routes throughout the County.

In addition to hearing the presentations, the approximately 100 attendees had the opportunity to provide written feedback on a large scale County map affixed to the wall of the Silver Spring Civic Center. Attendees were asked to give comments on how the bicycle connections in the County could be improved. Those comments have now been included on an online map and will be considered by planners as work begins on the update to the Bicycle Master Plan. View the feedback map from the June 6 Bike Summit.

The Montgomery County Council approved the Department’s $19 million budget for FY16 at its meeting on Thursday, May 21. These funds support the work program for 147 employees. Highlights of major projects to be undertaken by the Planning Department in FY16 include:

White Flint 2 Sector Plan: Work on this plan was to start in 2010 after the completion of the White Flint Sector Plan, but was postponed to 2015. The new Sector Plan will examine land uses, transportation, infrastructure and public facilities in areas to the west, north and east of the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan boundaries. Learn more about the White Flint 2 Sector Plan.

Rock Spring Sector Plan Amendment: Starting in July, this plan for Rock Spring will explore new opportunities for a 247-acre area east of Montgomery Mall that is currently occupied mostly by office buildings, including the headquarters for Lockheed Martin and Marriott. A new street network, public amenities, residential uses and environmental upgrades will be examined for the area.

Subdivision Staging (Growth Policy): The Subdivision Staging Policy is being revised to promote strategies designed to balance the impact of growth on the County with the capacity of infrastructure, such as transportation and schools. The goal is to ensure public facilities are adequate to accommodate new development and growth in the County, and new tools are developed to evaluate the true impact of this development on public infrastructure.

Retail Study: Given Montgomery County’s focus on creating mixed-use environments, it is imperative to understand emerging retail trends and how they will influence the County’s economic competitiveness. The Planning Department will conduct a study with the help of a consultant to determine national and regional trends affecting shopping environments, and develop recommendations for future plans.

MARC Stations at Boyds/Germantown: Work will begin this fall on evaluating land use, zoning, design and access conditions at the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) rail stations in Boyds and Germantown. The resulting plans will recommend physical and operational improvements to the stations and enhancements to access and parking.

Bicycle Master Plan: Cities across the United States have taken the lead in retrofitting streets for bikes. Now Montgomery County aims to be at the forefront among suburban jurisdictions in planning a high-quality bicycling network. The opportunities to create these facilities are immense, as older areas such as White Flint and Shady Grove are rebuilt, and newer transit projects such as the Purple Line, Corridor Cities Transitway and Bus Rapid Transit System are implemented.

The Montgomery County Planning Department is launching a new Bicycle Master Plan in July to realize this effort. The Plan will consider the newest types of bikeways, such as separated bike lanes, buffered bike lanes and bicycle boulevards, as well as secure bicycle storage facilities. Learn more about the Bicycle Master Plan.

New Recreation Guidelines: The Recreation Guidelines, last adopted in 1992, are being revised in response to the County’s need for more urban-style recreation space in mixed-use developments around transit centers. The updated guidelines will provide an expanded list of recreation facilities to serve a variety of age groups, including rooftop areas, indoor fitness centers, community gardens and urban plazas. They will result in a more effective recreation plan for each site.

Master Plan Reality Check: This study aims to determine how well recent County Master Plans have been carried out in addressing changing density, infrastructure, transportation and land use in the County. Findings will influence the development of future Master and Sector Plans.

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March 5 – Attend, watch or listen live to the Montgomery County Planning Board meeting. View the full agenda.

March 7 –Learn about the policies affecting Montgomery County public schools and transportation systems at a forum held at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (4301 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814) from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event, titled “Infrastructure and Growth: Are We Keeping Pace?,” hosted by County Councilmember Roger Berliner, will offer the opportunity for participants to meet with public officials and provide feedback about their communities. Speakers include Councilmember Roger Berliner and Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson. Register and submit your questions about policies related to schools and transportation online.

March 11 – Catch the last session of the Winter Speakers Series, A Once & Future County, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Planning Department Headquarters (8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910). “Hunting the Snark: Growth Policy and the Public Interest” will focus on the influence of land use policies on development patterns in the County. Learn more about the March 11 session and the planning experts who will speak at the event.

March 12 – Attend, watch or listen live to the Montgomery County Planning Board meeting. Agendas, which are posted two weeks in advance, can be viewed on the Agendas & Staff Reports page.

March 19 – Attend, watch or listen live to the Montgomery County Planning Board meeting. Agendas, which are posted two weeks in advance, can be viewed on the Agendas & Staff Reports page.

March 25 – Attend the next MV Matters meeting to discuss the Montgomery Village Master Plan from 7-9 p.m. at Watkins Mill High School (10301 Apple Ridge Road, Gaithersburg, MD). Planners will update residents on the proposed changes to existing zoning and other aspects of the plan. MVMatters is a series of outreach events meant to inform the community about specific subject areas, such as urban design, land use, parks, environment and transportation. Through the meetings, planners have received feedback from residents on what they view as the most valuable places in the village. View the Montgomery Village Scope of Work.

March 26 – Attend, watch or listen live to the Montgomery County Planning Board meeting. Agendas, which are posted two weeks in advance, can be viewed on the Agendas & Staff Reports page.

March 31– Learn more about the Planning Department’s recent activities at the presentation of its Spring 2015 Semi-Annual Report to the Montgomery County Council.

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